Ulf Andersson
Number of games in database: 2,309
Years covered: 1967 to 2015
Last FIDE rating: 2521(2523 rapid, 2467 blitz)
Highest rating achieved in database: 2640Overall record: +572 -232 =1455 (57.5%)*
* Overall winning percentage = (wins+draws/2) / total games
Based on games in the database; may be incomplete.
50 exhibition games, odds games, etc. are excluded from this statistic.

He was Swedish Champion in 1969 and awarded the IM title in 1970 and the GM title in 1972. During the 1972-82 period he was in the World's top ten and had first prizes at Belgrade 1977, Buenos Aires 1978, Hastings 1978-79, Phillips & Drew 1980, Phillips & Drew 1982, Turin 1982, Wijk aan Zee 1983, Reggio Emilia 1985 and Rome 1985 and 1986. He drew a six-game match with Mikhail Tal in 1983, played top board in the Second USSR versus The Rest of The World Match in 1984, and led the Swedish Olympiad Team during the 1970's and 80's. In 1996, Andersson broke the world record for playing a simul with 310 opponents (+268 -2 =40 for 92.9%), a record that stood until Andrew D Martin broke it in 2004.

He has also devoted himself to correspondence chess. In 1996 he became a GMC.

offramp: The game against Karpov, at Milan in 1975, is stunning - a real all-time gem. But even there the opening/early middle-game is that slow-motion, hyper-coordinated manoeuvering Hedgehog Sicilian that I have seen Andersson play a hundred times.

I admire him for his achievements and many of his games but when he sits down at a chess board he must think something like, "Here we go! Another six hour yawnathon! Grrrreat!!"

Caissanist: I wonder what the record for most consecutive draws between two players is. Per this database, Andersson and Zoltan Ribli have played 31 consecutive draws (the last decisive result between them was in 1973). I can't think of any other pair of players who have come close to that, er, achievement.

CountryGirl: Before you write off the 'drawing master', do as parisattack and I have and read 'Grandmaster Chess Strategy'. It is one of the best books of the last 10 years (truly!). It has many of Ulf's best games, which are smooth and logical. But unlike Karpov (say), their style can be copied by ordinary players, me included. I guess that makes me a 'seriously deranged mental patient' Offramp! :)

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